Method and apparatus for allocating bandwidth for a network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing traffic engineering, e.g., allocating bandwidth, on a wireless access network are disclosed. For example, the method determines a number of subscriber stations (SSs) that a Base Station (BS) is capable of supporting in accordance with at least one performance objective for voice traffic, wherein the at least one performance objective for voice traffic comprises a type of codec. The method then allocates bandwidth by the base station in accordance with the number of subscriber stations that the base station is capable of supporting.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for allocating a bandwidth for a network, the method comprising:
 determining, by a base station, a number of subscriber stations that the base station is capable of supporting in accordance with a performance objective for voice traffic, wherein the performance objective for voice traffic comprises at least two different types of codecs, wherein each of the subscriber stations implements one of the at least two different types of codecs, wherein each of the subscriber stations supports a number of voice lines, wherein the determining is performed using an equivalent bandwidth model, wherein the equivalent bandwidth model treats each voice line as an individual on-off traffic source; and 
 allocating, by the base station, the bandwidth in accordance with the number of subscriber stations that the base station is capable of supporting. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring an actual load for each of the subscriber stations; 
 monitoring an actual blocking for each of the subscriber stations; 
 determining whether each of the subscriber stations is conforming or non-conforming to a negotiated load level for each of the subscriber stations; and 
 determining whether or not each of the subscriber stations is blocked in accordance with a negotiated blocking target. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 applying a first blocking scheme to a subscriber station that is determined to be non-conforming so that the subscriber station that is determined to be non-conforming is limited to its negotiated load level. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 performing a second blocking scheme that redistributes a blocking rate among a plurality of active voice lines. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a performance objective for data traffic for each of the subscriber stations comprises an allowable peak rate. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the voice traffic is treated with a higher priority by the base station versus data traffic. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the voice traffic and the data traffic use separate queues at the base station. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network is a wireless access network. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the performance objective for voice traffic further comprises a load per voice line for each of the subscriber stations. 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a base station, cause the processor to perform operations for allocating a bandwidth for a network, the operations comprising:
 determining a number of subscriber stations that the base station is capable of supporting in accordance with a performance objective for voice traffic, wherein the performance objective for voice traffic comprises at least two different types of codecs, wherein each of the subscriber stations implements one of the at least two different types of codecs, wherein each of the subscriber stations supports a number of voice lines, wherein the determining is performed using an equivalent bandwidth model, wherein the equivalent bandwidth model treats each voice line as an individual on-off traffic source; and 
 allocating the bandwidth by the base station in accordance with the number of subscriber stations that the base station is capable of supporting. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 monitoring an actual load for each of the subscriber stations; 
 monitoring an actual blocking for each of the subscriber stations; 
 determining whether each of the subscriber stations is conforming or non-conforming to a negotiated load level for each of the subscriber stations; and 
 determining whether or not each of the subscriber stations is blocked in accordance with a negotiated blocking target. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 applying a first blocking scheme to a subscriber station that is determined to be non-conforming so that the subscriber station that is determined to be non-conforming is limited to its negotiated load level. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 performing a second blocking scheme that redistributes a blocking rate among a plurality of active voice lines. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein a performance objective for data traffic for each of the subscriber stations comprises an allowable peak rate. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the voice traffic is treated with a higher priority by the base station versus data traffic. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the voice traffic and the data traffic use separate queues at the base station. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the network is a wireless access network. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the performance objective for voice traffic further comprises a load per voice line for each of the subscriber stations. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus for allocating a bandwidth for a network, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor of a base station; and 
 a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 determining a number of subscriber stations that the base station is capable of supporting in accordance with a performance objective for voice traffic, wherein the performance objective for voice traffic comprises at least two different types of codecs, wherein each of the subscriber stations implements one of the at least two different types of codecs, wherein each of the subscriber stations supports a number of voice lines, wherein the determining is performed using an equivalent bandwidth model, wherein the equivalent bandwidth model treats each voice line as an individual on-off traffic source; and 
 
 allocating the bandwidth in accordance with the number of subscriber stations that the base station is capable of supporting. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 monitoring an actual load for each of the subscriber stations; 
 monitoring an actual blocking for each of the subscriber stations; 
 determining whether each of the subscriber stations is conforming or non-conforming to a negotiated load level for each of the subscriber stations; and 
 determining whether or not each of the subscriber stations is blocked in accordance with a negotiated blocking target.